Salvage Firm Confirms Sinking of Greek-Owned Tutor Struck by Houthis, According to Reuters

By Yannis Souliotis and Renee Maltezou

ATHENS – The Tutor, a Greek-owned coal carrier targeted by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the Red Sea last week, has been confirmed to have sunk, according to salvage experts.

On June 12, the Tutor was struck by missiles and an explosive-laden drone boat, leading to it taking on water, as reported by maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

On Tuesday, the UKMTO noted that the vessel is believed to be the second ship to have sunk in the area due to Houthi attacks since November. The group claims these assaults on international shipping passing through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Salvage vessels were en route to recover the Tutor when it was reported that the ship had likely sunk. Andreas Tsavliris, one of the salvage company owners, informed that naval forces had alerted ships in the vicinity regarding the Tutor’s sinking, noting debris and oil evidence at the location. "Therefore we abandoned the mission," Tsavliris stated.

Evalend Shipping, the Greece-based manager of the ship, did not respond to requests for comment. At the time of the attack, the vessel had 22 crew members from the Philippines, who were evacuated on June 14 by military authorities and later repatriated.

However, one crew member, believed to have been in the engine room during the attacks near Hodeidah, is still missing, according to the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers.

The UK-owned Rubymar was previously the first ship to be sunk by the Houthis, going down on March 2 after missiles struck it about two weeks earlier. Last week, the Houthis also inflicted serious damage on the Palau-flagged Verbena, which was carrying wood construction materials.

The crew of the Verbena abandoned ship due to an uncontrollable fire resulting from the attacks, leaving the vessel adrift in the Gulf of Aden, where it is now at risk of further assaults or sinking.

The Houthi drone and missile attacks have prompted shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, opting for the longer journey around the southern tip of Africa, which has extended delivery times and increased freight costs.